Toenail grooming instruments for individuals with impaired range of motion

ABSTRACT

The invention features in one embodiment a toenail grooming instrument that includes an elongated handle that extends along a longitudinal axis and has medial and distal ends, including a gripping area on the medial end of the handle, and a board gripping area on the distal end of the handle. A fastening mechanism attaches one or more abrasive boards to the board gripping area of the handle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 62/067,285, filed Oct. 22, 2014, which is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a toenail grooming instruments and methods designed to be easily used by individuals with an impaired range of motion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Toenail grooming is a somewhat awkward activity for most people. And it may be difficult or impossible for individuals with a temporarily or permanently impaired range of motion in different parts of their body to perform even basic toenail grooming. This can arise from a wide variety of causes including old age, illness, injury, or obesity.

Professional nail grooming is generally subject to public health regulations and licensing. Some impaired individuals may therefore need to seek assistance from a professional, such as a podiatrist. This can be expensive, particularly if the professional needs to travel to a person's home or care facility. There may also be administrative overhead involved in managed care and inpatient settings. As a result, it can be a very expensive problem for an impaired individual to keep his or her toenails groomed. Costs can reach $35-$75 or more per visit.

Most people would also like to retain their autonomy in this activity. Being dependent on a caregiver can make individuals feel more helpless than they otherwise might. It can also make individuals feel like they are a burden on others, such as when they are being cared for by friends or family.

Giving more individuals the ability to groom their own toenails could thus significantly improve their lives and help to reduce the cost of providing for them. Longer toenail files have been proposed, but these are not optimal for grooming the toes of individuals with a temporarily or permanently impaired range of motion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one general aspect, the invention features a toenail grooming instrument that includes an elongated handle that extends along a longitudinal axis and has medial and distal ends, including a gripping area on the medial end of the handle, and a board gripping area on the distal end of the handle. A fastening mechanism attaches one or more abrasive boards to the board gripping area of the handle.

In preferred embodiments the handle can have a rectangular cross section taken along the longitudinal axis at least at the gripping area and thereby has a short-width dimension and a long-width dimension, with the long-width dimension of the handle being parallel to the abrasive surface of the abrasive board. The instrument can include two abrasive boards that are each two-sided, with a first face having a coarser abrasive than a second face. The first face of each of the abrasive boards can be over 100 grit, with the second face each of the abrasives board being 100 grit or below. An overall length of the instrument along the longitudinal axis can be at least 26.5 inches long. The handle can be extruded. The fastening mechanism can include an adhesive. The fastening mechanism can be a screw-based fastening mechanism. The abrasive boards can each include a hole through which a portion of the fastening mechanism passes. The screw-based fastening mechanism can include a fastener post and a winged nut with an integral flange. The handle can include a curved surface that mates with a curved surface on the abrasive boards. The abrasive face of the board can be 100 grit or below.

In another general aspect, the invention features a toenail grooming instrument that includes an elongated handle that is at least about 26.5 inches long and extends along a longitudinal axis and having medial and distal ends, including a gripping area on the medial end of the handle, and a board gripping area on the distal end of the handle, two stacked abrasive boards that each have a first abrasive face and a second abrasive face, with the first face having a coarser abrasive than the second face, and with the first face of a first of the first board being exposed and a second face of the second board being exposed. The instrument also includes a fastening mechanism operative to removably attach the abrasive boards to the board gripping area of the handle. The handle is rectangular in a cross section taken along the longitudinal axis at least at the gripping area and thereby has a short-width dimension and a long-width dimension, with the long-width dimension of the handle being parallel to the abrasive surface of the abrasive board.

In preferred embodiments the first side of each of the abrasive boards can be over 100 grit and the second side each of the abrasives board can be 100 grit or below. The fastening mechanism can be a screw-based fastening mechanism. The abrasive boards can each include a hole through which a portion of the fastening mechanism passes. The screw-based fastening mechanism can include a fastener post and a winged nut with an integral flange. The handle can include a curved surface that mates with a curved surface on the abrasive boards.

In another general aspect, the invention features a method for grooming one's own toenails that includes providing an elongated handle that is at least about 26.5 inches long and extends along a longitudinal axis and having medial and distal ends, including a gripping area on the medial end of the handle, and a board gripping area on the distal end of the handle, attaching two abrasive boards to the handle, wherein the abrasive boards each have a first abrasive face and a second abrasive face, with the first face having a coarser abrasive than the second face, wherein the step of attaching leaves the first face of a first of the boards exposed and a second face of a second of the boards exposed, and wherein the handle is rectangular in a cross section taken along the longitudinal axis and thereby has a short-width dimension and a long-width dimension, and wherein the long-width dimension of the handle is parallel to the abrasive surface of the abrasive board, and holding the handle in one hand at the gripping area as one would hold a pencil. The method also includes moving the handle generally perpendicular to the bottom of one's foot to groom one's own toenails while guiding the handle with the other hand, repeating the step of holding and moving a plurality of times to again groom one's own toenails, turning the boards over to expose clean faces, repeating the step of holding and moving a plurality of times to yet again groom one's own toenails, replacing the abrasive boards with new abrasive boards, and repeating the step of holding and moving a plurality of times to yet yet again groom one's own toenails.

In preferred embodiments, the step of moving the handle generally perpendicular to the bottom of one's foot to groom one's own toenails can include a first step of grooming with a coarse grit followed by a second step of grooming with a fine grit. The steps of turning over and replacing the boards can include steps of unscrewing and re-screwing a screw-based fastener.

Instruments according to the invention are particularly well suited to grooming the toes of individuals with temporarily or permanently impaired range of motion. They make the activity easier by making it easier to reach the individual's toes, reducing the amount of time required to groom his or her toenails, and/or reducing the amount effort spent on the activity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective diagram of a toenail grooming instrument according to the invention showing its component parts;

FIG. 2 is a close-up view of the instrument of FIG. 1 shown ready for use;

FIG. 3 is a dimensioned view of the instrument of FIG. 1 with dimensions shown in inches;

FIG. 4 is a picture showing an individual using the grooming instrument of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a dimensioned plan view of an alternative embodiment of the instrument of FIG. 1 with dimensions shown in inches;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 5 along section line 6-6 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a detailed enlargement of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 within area 7 in FIG. 6 with dimensions shown in inches, and

FIG. 8 is an end view of the embodiment of FIG. 5 taken in direction 8 in FIG. 7 with dimensions shown in inches.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, an illustrative embodiment 10 of a toenail grooming instrument according to the invention includes an elongated wooden handle 12 that holds two boards 14 that each bear abrasive coated surfaces. They are held in place with a threaded fastener post 16 and a winged nut with a integral flange 18. The boards have rounded ends that rest in a semicircular recess in the elongated handle to resist rotation of the boards around the fastener post. The flanged wing nut allows users to easily tighten and secure the assembly.

In this embodiment, two boards are used to provide stiffness to allow an individual to apply a significant amount of force in the grooming process. These types of boards are available on the market as “salon boards” and typically come with a coarse grit on one side and a fine grit on the other. The boards are oriented so that the coarse side of one is to the outside and the fine side of the other is to the outside. This allows the user to rotate the instrument around its longitudinal axis to change from one grit to the other. The boards selected in this embodiment have a foam core that provides an appropriate level of stiffness while presenting a smooth soft surface protecting the adjacent toes from abrasion. They can also be swapped to use both sides of both boards, and thereafter replaced with new ones.

The preferred grit for the coarse side of the board is 100 or 90 grit or even as low as around 80 grit. This level of roughness allows nails to be filed relatively quickly, although roughly, and thus keeps effort to a minimum. If desired, the nails can then be smoothed with the fine side of the board, which is preferably has a grit of above 100, such as 120 or even 150. Grit values are based on the Coated Abrasives Manufacturer's Institute (CAMI) abrasive standard.

In operation, referring to FIG. 4, the device can be used while in a comfortable sitting position with torso erect and arms in a relaxed position while filing/grooming one's toenails, without need to bend over or reach out at arm's length. The device can be held like one would hold a pencil with pointer finger on its wide side, while using the other hand, braced against the knee, to keep the wand stable while filing with an up and down motion (akin to guiding a pool cue). Using the instrument in this way positions the abrasive material at a good angle of attack relative to the toenail.

The overall minimum length for the nail grooming instrument is about 26.4″ and its maximum length is about 36″. These dimensions were derived by taking the minimum length from toe to knee of the range for the 5 percentile for woman and the maximum length from toe to knee of the range for the 95 percentile for men and applying these numbers to the pertinent dimensions of the instrument. These ergonomic data used to derive these dimensions are from studies by Wesley E. Woodson's as found in the Allsteel Ergonomics & Design Reference Guide, published by Allsteel, Inc. (2006), although they could also be obtained from other sources.

Referring to FIG. 5, an alternative illustrative embodiment of a toenail grooming instrument according to the invention includes a hollow extruded handle 12. This handle has a generally rectangular cross-section that defines an internal board-gripping area that is slightly larger than the outer dimensions of a stack of two abrasive boards 14. This allows the boards to be partially inserted into the extruded handle and glued in place with a small amount of adhesive 20.

The extruded handle is made of PVC in this embodiment, but can be made of any of a number of other different materials including plastics such as polypropylene, polyethylene or polystyrene. The adhesive used in this embodiment is 3M Scotch Grip plastic adhesive 1099, but other adhesives such as rubber or acrylic glues available from suppliers such as 3M or Avery Dennison could also be used. In this embodiment, the boards are not intended to be replaced.

The present invention has now been described in connection with an illustrative embodiment thereof. However, numerous modifications which are contemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention should now be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, different materials, such as plastic, could be used for the wand. Different types of attachment mechanisms, such as a molded snap-in mechanism, could also be used to hold the boards in place. And different configurations of types and numbers of boards having different sizes and thicknesses could be employed. It is therefore intended that the scope of the present invention be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto. In addition, the order of presentation of the claims should not be construed to limit the scope of any particular term in the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A toenail grooming instrument, comprising an elongated handle that extends along a longitudinal axis and has medial and distal ends, including a gripping area on the medial end of the handle, and a board gripping area on the distal end of the handle, one or more abrasive boards each having at least one face with an abrasive surface, and a fastening mechanism operative to attach the abrasive boards to the board gripping area of the handle.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the handle has a rectangular cross section taken along the longitudinal axis at least at the gripping area and thereby has a short-width dimension and a long-width dimension, and wherein the long-width dimension of the handle is parallel to the abrasive surface of the abrasive board.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the instrument includes two abrasive boards that are each two-sided, with a first face having a coarser abrasive than a second face.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first face of each of the abrasive boards is over 100 grit and wherein the second face each of the abrasives board is 100 grit or below.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein an overall length of the instrument along the longitudinal axis is at least 26.5 inches long.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the handle is extruded.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fastening mechanism includes an adhesive.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fastening mechanism is a screw-based fastening mechanism.
 9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the abrasive boards each include a hole through which a portion of the fastening mechanism passes.
 10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the screw-based fastening mechanism includes a fastener post and a winged nut with an integral flange.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the handle includes a curved surface that mates with a curved surface on the abrasive boards.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the abrasive face of the board is 100 grit or below.
 13. A toenail grooming instrument, comprising an elongated handle that is at least about 26.5 inches long and extends along a longitudinal axis and having medial and distal ends, including a gripping area on the medial end of the handle, and a board gripping area on the distal end of the handle, two stacked abrasive boards that each have a first abrasive face and a second abrasive face, with the first face having a coarser abrasive than the second face, and wherein the first face of a first of the first board is exposed and a second face of the second board is exposed, a fastening mechanism operative to removably attach the abrasive boards to the board gripping area of the handle, and wherein the handle is rectangular in a cross section taken along the longitudinal axis at least at the gripping area and thereby has a short-width dimension and a long-width dimension, and wherein the long-width dimension of the handle is parallel to the abrasive surface of the abrasive board.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first side of each of the abrasive boards is over 100 grit and wherein the second side each of the abrasives board is 100 grit or below.
 15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the fastening mechanism is a screw-based fastening mechanism.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the abrasive boards each include a hole through which a portion of the fastening mechanism passes.
 17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the screw-based fastening mechanism includes a fastener post and a winged nut with an integral flange.
 18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the handle includes a curved surface that mates with a curved surface on the abrasive boards.
 19. A method for grooming one's own toenails, comprising: providing an elongated handle that is at least about 26.5 inches long and extends along a longitudinal axis and having medial and distal ends, including a gripping area on the medial end of the handle, and a board gripping area on the distal end of the handle, attaching two abrasive boards to the handle, wherein the abrasive boards each have a first abrasive face and a second abrasive face, with the first face having a coarser abrasive than the second face, wherein the step of attaching leaves the first face of a first of the boards exposed and a second face of a second of the boards exposed, and wherein the handle is rectangular in a cross section taken along the longitudinal axis and thereby has a short-width dimension and a long-width dimension, and wherein the long-width dimension of the handle is parallel to the abrasive surface of the abrasive board, holding the handle in one hand at the gripping area as one would hold a pencil, moving the handle generally perpendicular to the bottom of one's foot to groom one's own toenails while guiding the handle with the other hand, repeating the step of holding and moving a plurality of times to again groom one's own toenails, turning the boards over to expose clean faces, repeating the step of holding and moving a plurality of times to yet again groom one's own toenails, replacing the abrasive boards with new abrasive boards, and repeating the step of holding and moving a plurality of times to yet yet again groom one's own toenails.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of moving the handle generally perpendicular to the bottom of one's foot to groom one's own toenails includes a first step of grooming with a coarse grit followed by a second step of grooming with a fine grit.
 21. The method of claim 19 wherein the steps of turning over and replacing the boards include steps of unscrewing and re-screwing a screw-based fastener. 